Filling attachment for fluid containers and method for the use thereof



March 7, 1967 F. BERNING ETAL 3,307,595

' FILLING ATTACHMENT FOR FLUID CONTAINERS AND METHOD FOR THE USE THEREOF Filed July 26, 1965 FIGJIH y .Fle.

INVENTORS FRIEDEL BERNING WILHELM ZOREMBSKY United States Patent z 12 Claims. (:I. 141-4 The present invention relates to a filling attachment for fluid containers and method for the use thereof and, more particularly, to a filling attachment which may be directly connected to the filling opening of cigar or cigarette lighters or the like, by means of which the lighter fluid may be replenished.

Lighters containing, as the fuel, hydrocarbons which are liquid at normal temperature and pressure have been known for some time. In recent years, however, the socalled gas lighters have become increasingly important and have captured an increasing share of the market. These lighters contain compressed gases, particularly low molecular weight hydrocarbons liquefied by pressure. These gases burn with a clean flame which produces no soot and the combustion products do not adversely affect the flavor of cigars, cigarettes, etc.

These gas lighters include, usually in the bottom thereof, an inlet valve which is adapted to communicate with a fuel reservoir and permit the replenishing of the compressed gas fuel while preventing the escape thereof. In these valves, sealing is effected by means of a pin or ball which is usually spring biased against a sealing surface or valve seat in the housing of the lighter. Thus, a supply or fuel reservoir from which the fuel is transferred into the lighter must be provided with a valve which is matched or fitted to the inlet valve of the lighter to be filled.

During the filling operation, a valve stem attached to the storage or supply reservoir is engaged against the inlet valve in the lighter. The discharge valve on the storage or supply reservoir will then open and the gas under pressure will flow into the fuel chamber of the gas lighter, which is under a lower pressure, until a pressure equilibrium is established between the pressure in the fuel compartment of the lighter and the pressure in the supply reservoir or container.

Due to the fact that the various types of gas lighters commercially available do not have standardized inlet valves, it is inconvenient to refill these lighters. Since a plurality of different types of inlet valves are presently being utilized, it is necessary to manufacture, store, and sell, a corresponding number of storage or fuel supply reservoirs having matched or fitted outlet valves.

A number of attempts have already been made to overcome this disadvantage by providing the discharge valves of the storage reservoirs or containers with sleeves which are designed to conform to the various types of inlet valves presently employed in the various commercially available lighters.

For example, one device known to the prior art includes a sleeve of elastic material which may be fitted over the valve stem of a storage reservoir and has, for the purpose of attachment, a ring in the lower part of the sleeve which fits into a corresponding recess in the valve stem. While such .an arrangement makes it possible for a dealer to store only a single type of filler cartridge or fuel supply reservoir, he is nevertheless required to stock an assortment of sleeves corresponding to the diiferent inlet valves or filling openings of the various types of gas lighters. Moreover, the manipulation of these very small sleeves is annoying and time consuming.

Another device known to the prior art includes a sleeve comprising a sealing or packing cone. This sleeve, which may be slipped over the valve stem of a storage reservoir, is provided in one end thereof with a recess for receiving the filler neck of the lighter inlet valve and comprises a sealing or packing cone provided with threads which may be moved to any position adapted to match that of the filler neck or inlet valve of the container to be filled. This construction makes it possible to fill a large number of gas lighters or other containers with the aid of but one sleeve. This arrangement is not entirely satisfactory however since for a perfectly sealing closure, it is necessary to adjust the sealing or packing cone very carefully. Additionally, the manufacture of such filling devices, in cluding a sealing or packing cone is relatively expensive and it is, of course, desirable that such filling devices be made as inexpensively as possible and that they be easy to use.

In accordance with the present invention, a filling attachment is provided which eliminates the aforementioned disadvantages and drawbacks. In the present invention, a valve stem made of metal, plastic or the like and attached to a storage or supply reservoir, has a sleeve of resilient material thereon made of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, plastic or the like. The valve stem has a stop member thereon which cooperates with a corresponding stop member on the resilient sleeve and permits the sleeve to be partially displaced or slid with respect to the stern but prevents complete displacement of the sleeve relative to the stem. The resilient sleeve projects slightly beyond the discharge opening of the valve stem and, in this projecting portion, has an inside diameter which allows the sleeve to be partially displaced with respect to the valve stem during axial compression of the resilient sleeve.

In the filling attachment of the invention, the seal is obtained by compression of the resilient sleeve projecting beyond the end of the rigid valve stem since the projecting portion engages with the opposite side of the seat of the inlet valve of the lighter when the valve stem, attached to the storage reservoir, is engaged with the pin of the inlet valve of the lighter. Since only a limited displacement of the resilient sleeve is permitted, due to the stop member, the sleeve is axially compressed and seals the adjacent areas of the lighter inlet valve with the compressible end portion thereof and also seals the recess in which the lighter inlet valve is mounted by engagement with the periphery or sides of the compressed resilient sleeve. The compressed sleeve will thereby adjust itself and intimately conform to the shape of the inlet valve so that a complete sealing eflfect is obtained with all of the various types of lighter inlet valves known.

The resilient sleeve is desirably tapered in the direction of the outlet opening of the valve stem on the fuel supply container and axial compression of the sleeve is thereby facilitated. The compression may be further facilitated in various areas of the resilient sleeve by forming suitable grooves therein, for example. Additionally, the sealing effect may be enhanced by grooving or otherwise profiling the surface of the resilient sleeeve where it engages with the valve of the lighter to be filled.

Preferably, the compressible sleeve is supported by the outer surface of the valve stem between the stop means thereon and the discharge end of the valve stem. The valve stem maybe of any suitable shape such as tubular, for example. In a preferred embodiment of the filling attachment of the invention, the stop member which limits the compression of the resilient sleeve is formed by a portion of the valve stem of enlarged diameter. It

'2 a has been found particularly advantageous to provide this portion of enlarged diameter as a shoulder portion on the valve stem which extends into a correspondingly enlarged inner portion of the sleeve.

In another embodiment of the invention, the resilient sleeve abuts against the supply reservoir or container, or against an outlet valve thereon, when the valve stem is forced into the container in order to open the valve.

It is not necessary that the storage reservoir or supply container form an integral unit with the resilient sleeve mounted on the valve stem. Instead, the valve stem may be made detachable and the resilient sleeve may be mounted on the valve stem. Instead, the valve stem may struction, the detachable portion of the valve stem can be slid upon the stem portion fixedly mounted on the storage or supply reservoir. in such a construction, the detachable valve stem preferably includes an enlargement on the inlet end thereof into which the portion of the valve stem secured to the container is received, the enlargement preferably being within the shoulder portion of the valve stem which also serves as the stop member.

An additional adjustment for fitting the filling attachment to the different types of inlet valves of gas lighters is provided by forming a countersink or counterbore in the discharge end of the valve stem, which countersink or counterbore may also be grooved or otherwise provided with means facilitating passage of fuel through the valve stem and into the fuel compartment of the lighter. This construction makes it possible to accommodate the variety of sizes of valve pins customarily used in lighter inlet valves.

The filling attachment of the present invention thus provides a means for easily and accurately filling all of the various types of gas lighters. It is also of a simple construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

The invention will be further illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURES 1 to 3 are views in elevation of one embodiment of the device of the present invention, partially in section, showing the various stages of operation thereof, and

FIGURE 4 is a view in elevation of another embodiment of the present invention, partially in section.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a storage reservoir 1 for lighter fuel is shown in a vertical position above the inlet valve 4 of a cigarette lighter. The stem 2 which is connected to the discharge valve 6 of the reservoir 1 includes, in the dischange end 7 of the bore therein, an inner shoulder which may be a counterbore or countersink or the like. The stem 2 has the resilient sleeve 3 thereon and is provided with an abutment surface or shoulder 10 which engages with a corresponding shoulder on the resilient sleeve 3. The inlet valve in the lighter includes a pressure plate which is spring biased against the valve seat 8 having the sealing ring 9 thereon.

The filling operation is illustrated in FIGURE '2 and, in this operation, the storage or supply reservoir 1 is initially pressed downwardly whereby the valve pin of the inlet valve is engaged by the stem 2 and forced downwardly. This operation opens the lighter inlet valve. The slidable end of the resilient sleeve 3 thus engages the opposite side of the valve seat 8 and, if the downward pressure of the supply reservoir is further increased, the valve stem 2 will be pressed into the outlet valve 6 on the supply reservoir causing it to open. During this operation, as shown in FIGURE 3, the resilient sleeve is axially compressed and forms a seal with the end portion thereof on the opposite side of the valve seat 8 and also with the sides or peripheral portion thereof where such portion engages the recess in which the lighter inlet valve is mounted. It is apparent that various shapes of the resilient sleeve may be employed to obtain a similar sealing effect.

The embodiment of FIGURE 4 corresponds to the em- 4 bodiment of FIGURES 1 to 3 but the valve stem 2 of FIGURES 1 to 3 is made in two sections and the lower portion of the valve stem 11, upon which the resilient sleeve 3 is mounted, is slidably mounted upon the valve stem 2 which is connected to the storage or supply reservoir 1.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invent-ion includes all such modifications.

What is claimed is:

1. A filling attachment for a fluid container comprising a substantially rigid stern having a bore providing entrance and discharge openings therein, a sleeve of resilient material on the stem and having stop means thereon cooperating with stop means on the stem, the sleeve projecting beyond the discharge end of the stem whereby a portion only of the sleeve is slidable relative to the stem when the projecting portion of the sleeve is compressed.

2. An attachment according to claim 1 in which the sleeve is tapered toward the discharge end of the stem.

3. An attachment according to claim 1 in which the dischange opening of the stem bore is enlarged.

4. An attachment according to claim 1 in which the sleeve is made of a material selected from the group consisting of synthetic and natural rubber.

5. An attachment according to claim 1 in which the stop means is an enlarged portion of the stern corresponding to an enlarged inner portion of the sleeve.

6. An attachment according to claim 1 in which one end of the sleeve contacts the fluid container during operation'.

7. An attachment according to claim 1 in which the stem is fabricated in two sections, one of which has the sleeve attached thereto.

8. An attachment according to claim 7 in which one section of the stem is slidably mounted on the other.

9. An attachment according to claim 7 in which the section of the stem having the sleeve attached thereto is provided with an enlarged end into which the other section is received.

149. A method of equalizing the pressures in two fluid containers which comprises opening a recessed valve in one container by contacting it with a valve stem on a second container, forcing the two containers together to open a valve on the second container, and simultaneously forming a tight seal about the recessed valve by axial compression of a resilient sleeve on the valve stem.

11. A method according to claim 10 in which the sleeve is partially displaced with respect to the stem upon compression of the former.

12. A method according to claim 10 in which the sleeve is axially compressed between the recessed valve and the second container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 560,070 5/1896 Stau-b et al 141-382 X 1,286,830 12/1918 Sturmer 141311 X 2,581,537 1/1952 Maisch 220-25 2,721,089 10/1955 Shames 2858 2,949,244 8/1960 Philippe 14l311 X 2,989,091 6/1961 Lowenthal 141349 X 3,027,922 4/ 1962 Weston et al. 141-20 3,035,617 5/1962 Breitenstein 141349 FOREIGN PATENTS 81,999 9/1956 Denmark. 1,096,938 1/1961 Germany.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. S. BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

10. A METHOD OF EQUALIZING THE PRESSURES IN TWO FLUID CONTAINERS WHICH COMPRISES OPENING A RECESSED VALVE IN ONE CONTAINER BY CONTACTING IT WITH A VALVE STEM ON A SECOND CONTAINER, FORCING THE TWO CONTAINERS TOGETHER TO OPEN A VALVE ON THE SECOND CONTAINER, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY FORMING A TIGHT SEAL ABOUT THE RECESSED VALVE BY AXIAL COMPRESSION OF A RESILIENT SLEEVE ON THE VALVE STEM. 